Once again this week i am interested in examining Cape Town's District six, and specifically examining the challenges that are presented by this landscape (of which there are several). First off, and most notably is the fact that the area was mostly bulldozed in the 1970's, when the population of District Six was relocated to the Cape Flats (more precise details of this forced removal are provided in my previous post). The obvious result of this is that the landscape has subsequently been rendered fairly barren, which appears in stark contrast to the surrounding suburbs of Cape Town which are all heavily developed and built upon.
It is worth recognising, as a side note, that the large plains of the Cape flats, that the population was moved to, is the area that joins the peninsula to the mainland and is what is commonly referred to as a marine plain. This means that the geology is predominantly sandy, which shows that at one point Table mountain was actually an island. However, more importantly what this means is that the area that the people were forcibly moved to was not particularly well suited to the growing of crops and plants due to its sandy composition, and thus it also does not provide particularly suitable grazing lands. This is somewhat similar to the conclusion reached by Ellis & Galvin in their article Climate Patterns and Land-use Practices in the Dry Zones of Africa, where they write that: "Subtle differences or small changes in temporal climate pattern can have significant effects on land use." However, in this case it is a subtle variation in the geology of the land that has a significant effect on the land-use. This also very closely linked to Wisner's article that asserts that the system of apartheid led to a collapse of rural livelihoods, driving people to the cities, while apartheid's tight control over African residential location and employment ensued that high density settlement and unemployment would follow. This can clearly be seen in the District Six situation, where people were forced to move to the high density townships on the Cape flats.
District Six is located in the Central City Bowl of Cape Town, which makes it accessible only from the sea or from one direction by land. This is because Table Mountain and the mountain range that forms it, limits accessibility. Furthermore, what we can see from the old District Six remains is that it was something of an 'urban ghetto,' with the houses usually being tiny and overcrowded, due to the socio-economic make up of the area. This overcrowding, as is now the case in most townships, with row upon row of tiny houses served as a breeding ground for a number of gang and equally unsavoury activities.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Past and the Present.
My site for this week is Cape Town's District Six, which is a former inner-city residential area of the city. District Six is very well known for the fact that almost 60,000 of its inhabitants were forcibly removed by the apartheid regime during the 1970's. The area was so named in 1867, as the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town and by the turn of the century it had become a large community predominantly made up of former slaves, merchants, artisans and immigrants, as well as a large population of Malay people brought to South Africa by the Dutch East India Company during its time in charge of the Cape Colony. As such, after the Second World War, District Six formed a cosmopolitan mix of people. It was situated very close to the Cape Town docks and its residents were largely 'coloured' (to coin the South African term); including a large number of these 'Cape Malays', who were Muslim, as well as black Xhosa residents. There were also small populations of Indians, Afrikaners and whites, although these were most definitely minority populations.
On 11 February 1966, the Government declared that District Six was to become a whites-only area, under the Group Areas Act, and removals would start in 1968. From this date to 1982, more than 60,000 people were forcibly removed and relocated to the sandy, bleak Cape Flats township, which is nearly 25km away. The government stated that these removals needed to take place in order to prevent inter-racial mixing and breeding, which was aid to cause conflict. All of the old houses were bulldozed, although places of worship were left standing, and the Cape Technikon University was built on part of this land, which the government proceeded to rename Zonnebloem. However, most of the land was left undeveloped.
Time Line of Some of the Most Important Events of and Leading up to Apartheid
· 1651: Dutch settlers arrive in South Africa. In 1756, they import slaves from West Africa, Malaysia, and India, establishing the dominance of whites over non-whites in the region.
· 1700s: Riding on horseback and covered wagons, Dutch farmers (called Boers) migrate across land inhabited by Bantu and Khoi peoples. Armed with shotguns, the Boers seize land used by the tribes for cattle and sheep grazing -- the basis of their economy. Without land, the tribes must work on Boer farms to support themselves.
· 1867: Diamond mining begins in South Africa. Africans are given the most dangerous jobs, are paid far less than white workers, and are housed in fenced, patrolled barracks. Oppressive conditions and constant surveillance keep Africans from organizing for better wages and working conditions.
· 1908: A constitutional convention is held to establish South African independence from Britain. The all-white government decides that non-whites can vote but cannot hold office. A few people in the new government object, believing that South Africa would be more stable if Africans were treated better.
· 1913: The Native Lands Act gives 7.3% of the country's land to Africans, who make up 80% of the population. Africans are prohibited from owning land outside their region. Africans are allowed to be on white land only if they are working for whites.
· 1936: Representation of Voters Act: This law weakens the political rights for Africans in some regions and allows them to vote only for white representatives.
· 1963: Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, is jailed.
· 1991: South Africa President F.W. de Klerk repeals the rest of the apartheid laws and calls for the drafting of a new constitution.
· 1994: Elections are held. The United Nations sends 2,120 international observers to ensure the fairness of the elections. The African National Congress, representing South Africa's majority black population. Nelson Mandela, the African resistance leader who had been jailed for 27 years, is elected President.
· 1951: The Bantu Homelands Act. Through this law, the white government declares that the lands reserved for black Africans are independent nations. In this way, the government strips millions of blacks of their South African citizenship and forces them to become residents of their new "homelands." Blacks are now considered foreigners in white-controlled South Africa, and need passports to enter. Blacks only enter to serve whites in menial jobs.·
(NB: This timeline is taken in part from http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/race_b_at_print.asp)
On 11 February 1966, the Government declared that District Six was to become a whites-only area, under the Group Areas Act, and removals would start in 1968. From this date to 1982, more than 60,000 people were forcibly removed and relocated to the sandy, bleak Cape Flats township, which is nearly 25km away. The government stated that these removals needed to take place in order to prevent inter-racial mixing and breeding, which was aid to cause conflict. All of the old houses were bulldozed, although places of worship were left standing, and the Cape Technikon University was built on part of this land, which the government proceeded to rename Zonnebloem. However, most of the land was left undeveloped.
Time Line of Some of the Most Important Events of and Leading up to Apartheid
· 1651: Dutch settlers arrive in South Africa. In 1756, they import slaves from West Africa, Malaysia, and India, establishing the dominance of whites over non-whites in the region.
· 1700s: Riding on horseback and covered wagons, Dutch farmers (called Boers) migrate across land inhabited by Bantu and Khoi peoples. Armed with shotguns, the Boers seize land used by the tribes for cattle and sheep grazing -- the basis of their economy. Without land, the tribes must work on Boer farms to support themselves.
· 1867: Diamond mining begins in South Africa. Africans are given the most dangerous jobs, are paid far less than white workers, and are housed in fenced, patrolled barracks. Oppressive conditions and constant surveillance keep Africans from organizing for better wages and working conditions.
· 1908: A constitutional convention is held to establish South African independence from Britain. The all-white government decides that non-whites can vote but cannot hold office. A few people in the new government object, believing that South Africa would be more stable if Africans were treated better.
· 1913: The Native Lands Act gives 7.3% of the country's land to Africans, who make up 80% of the population. Africans are prohibited from owning land outside their region. Africans are allowed to be on white land only if they are working for whites.
· 1936: Representation of Voters Act: This law weakens the political rights for Africans in some regions and allows them to vote only for white representatives.
| · 1950: The Population Registration Act. This law classifies people into three racial groups: white, colored (mixed race or Asian), and native (African/black). Marriages between races are outlawed in order to maintain racial purity. · 1951: The Group Areas Act sets aside specific communities for each of the races (white, colored (mixed race or Indian), and native (African/black) ). The best areas and the majority of the land are reserved for whites. Non-whites are relocated into "reserves." Mixed-race families are forced to live separately. · 1952: Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents Act. This misleadingly-named law requires all Africans to carry identification booklets with their names, addresses, fingerprints, and other information. Africans are frequently stopped and harassed for their passes. Between 1948-1973, over ten million Africans were arrested because their passes were "not in order." Burning pass books becomes a common form of protest. · 1953: The Preservation of Separate Amenities Act establishes "separate but not necessarily equal" parks, beaches, post offices, and other public places for whites and non-whites. At right are signs for segregated toilets in English and Afrikaans. |  Source: http://suedafrika.net/Medaia/Toilets.jpg |
· 1953: Bantu Education Act: Through this law, the white government supervises the education of all blacks. Schools condition blacks to accept white domination. Non-whites cannot attend white universities. |
· 1963: Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, is jailed.
| · 1980s: People and governments around the world launch an international campaign to boycott (not do business with) South Africa. Some countries ban the import of South African products, and citizens of many countries pressure major companies to pull out of South Africa. These actions have a crippling effect on the South African economy and weaken the government. | |
· 1991: South Africa President F.W. de Klerk repeals the rest of the apartheid laws and calls for the drafting of a new constitution.
· 1994: Elections are held. The United Nations sends 2,120 international observers to ensure the fairness of the elections. The African National Congress, representing South Africa's majority black population. Nelson Mandela, the African resistance leader who had been jailed for 27 years, is elected President.
· 1951: The Bantu Homelands Act. Through this law, the white government declares that the lands reserved for black Africans are independent nations. In this way, the government strips millions of blacks of their South African citizenship and forces them to become residents of their new "homelands." Blacks are now considered foreigners in white-controlled South Africa, and need passports to enter. Blacks only enter to serve whites in menial jobs.·
(NB: This timeline is taken in part from http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/race_b_at_print.asp)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Table mountain and Cape Town ...
This week I have chosen to examine the importance that Table Mountain has on Cape Town's landscape. I would argue that the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Cape Town is the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain, the 3 km long plateau that is surrounded by steep cliffs. The highest point on Table Mountain is 1086 meters above sea level, and the mountain forms the end of a sandstone mountain range that extends up the Cape Peninsula.
In fact, there are numerous questions that spring to mind on the subject of Table Mountain. For example, what is the geological composition of the mountain? What is the mountain's history? What are the implications of the fact that it is such a popular tourist attraction? What flora and fauna inhabit the area?
All in all, there are numerous questions that could be asked on the subject in order to ascertain the effect the mountain has on the landscape, however, the above mentioned ones are just some of the most obvious.
All in all, there are numerous questions that could be asked on the subject in order to ascertain the effect the mountain has on the landscape, however, the above mentioned ones are just some of the most obvious.
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| Table Mountain, looking back from Robben Island http://www.tropicalisland.de/south_africa_cape_town_peninsula.html |
Firstly, the mountain is composed of sandstone (highly resistant to erosion) and then a layer of shale underneath this. The main vegetation on the mountain is Cape fynbos and the mountain is most densely populated by the dassie, otherwise known as rock hyrax. The most obvious point of note with regard to the tourist industry is the fact that the mountain has a cableway, which is easily visible from almost anywhere in Cape Town, built on its facade. At the same time, the cableway is merely the most visible manifestation of the high volume of tourists that visit every year; there are of course increased erosion patterns and the problem of littering.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Engagement: "The Frightened Land"
While I have to admit that I didn't make it all the way through Jennifer Beningfield's "The Frightened Land: Land, Landscape and Politics in South Africa in the Twentieth Century" or Anne Whiston Spirn's "The Language of Landscape," I did find the books to be usefully complimentary in some ways.
Spirn writes that: "The language of landscape is our native language ... Humans touched, saw, heard, smelled, tasted, lived in, and shaped landscapes before the species had words to describe what it did. Landscapes were the first human texts, read before the invention of other signs and symbols ... The Language of landscape can be spoken, written, read, and imagined" (Pg 15). I found this passage to be particularly powerful, the thought that we as humans have been able to influence and leave our mark on a landscape ever since our beginning. What is more interesting is the notion that we have been able to do this even before we actually had a fully evolved descriptive language. What this led me to thinking is that every landscape that has had humans living on it therefore has a story to be told, and at least part of this story can be read by some form of study or examination of the landscape.
This leads me neatly on to my next point, as brought about by Beningfield's writing. She states that Nelson Mandela said during his inauguration speech on 10 May 1994: "To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the Bushveld" (Pg 1). It is this inextricable linking of people with the landscape, and particularly the soil, that makes the suffering and oppression that is represented by the land all the more important. Furthermore, what Mandela effectively says is that we are the landscape that we inhabit.
Beningfield then talks about the Constitutional Court of South Africa in the foreword of her book and how it makes her feel: "It is something much deeper, I respond to my own question, more intimate, more related to how I imagine myself as a human being and as a South African. The answer, I continue, is that when I walk up to my Chambers I feel at a deeply subliminal level different to the way I feel in almost any other part of the country. I don't feel I am a white man in a white area, or a white man in a black area. At last, I say, I am just a person going to work in a zone of South Africa that is both historically and imaginatively free" (Pg x). I was actually fortunate enough to have been to the Court house this summer during my travels, while researching the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its workings. The court building is absolutely magnificent in a very unorthodox way, it is a combination of an incredibly modern building, an old Boer fort and the apartheid era prison. Not only is the actual building interesting but so is the landscape around it; it is situated atop a hill with a fairly commanding view of the surrounding area. The constitutional Court house also happens to be located near Hillbrow, which is a fairly poor area of Johannesburg and thus it is surrounded by a number of low-cost high rise apartment buildings. Beningfield describes the area around the court: "Hillbrow, perhaps the most diversely African area on the continent; or from the spaciously tree-and gardened homes of the Northern Suburbs, not a poor person in sight; or from the huge cluster of concrete civic buildings of Bureaucratic Braamfontein" (Pg x). It is these multitude of different landscapes that represent South Africa, and the Constitutional Court, which is located in the middle of them all, represents the coming together of the new South Africa.
What also really interests me about this site is the history which it has seen, and the resulting 'scars' that have been left on the landscape. Yet every one of these scars is an important part of South Africa and its development to the liberal, democracy which it has become today. In other words, it is the current landscape of South Africa, which has so many throwback to its bygone troubled past (for example the old prison that held both Ghandi and Mandela) that has led to the formation of this "Rainbow Nation."
Spirn writes that: "The language of landscape is our native language ... Humans touched, saw, heard, smelled, tasted, lived in, and shaped landscapes before the species had words to describe what it did. Landscapes were the first human texts, read before the invention of other signs and symbols ... The Language of landscape can be spoken, written, read, and imagined" (Pg 15). I found this passage to be particularly powerful, the thought that we as humans have been able to influence and leave our mark on a landscape ever since our beginning. What is more interesting is the notion that we have been able to do this even before we actually had a fully evolved descriptive language. What this led me to thinking is that every landscape that has had humans living on it therefore has a story to be told, and at least part of this story can be read by some form of study or examination of the landscape.
This leads me neatly on to my next point, as brought about by Beningfield's writing. She states that Nelson Mandela said during his inauguration speech on 10 May 1994: "To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the Bushveld" (Pg 1). It is this inextricable linking of people with the landscape, and particularly the soil, that makes the suffering and oppression that is represented by the land all the more important. Furthermore, what Mandela effectively says is that we are the landscape that we inhabit.
Beningfield then talks about the Constitutional Court of South Africa in the foreword of her book and how it makes her feel: "It is something much deeper, I respond to my own question, more intimate, more related to how I imagine myself as a human being and as a South African. The answer, I continue, is that when I walk up to my Chambers I feel at a deeply subliminal level different to the way I feel in almost any other part of the country. I don't feel I am a white man in a white area, or a white man in a black area. At last, I say, I am just a person going to work in a zone of South Africa that is both historically and imaginatively free" (Pg x). I was actually fortunate enough to have been to the Court house this summer during my travels, while researching the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its workings. The court building is absolutely magnificent in a very unorthodox way, it is a combination of an incredibly modern building, an old Boer fort and the apartheid era prison. Not only is the actual building interesting but so is the landscape around it; it is situated atop a hill with a fairly commanding view of the surrounding area. The constitutional Court house also happens to be located near Hillbrow, which is a fairly poor area of Johannesburg and thus it is surrounded by a number of low-cost high rise apartment buildings. Beningfield describes the area around the court: "Hillbrow, perhaps the most diversely African area on the continent; or from the spaciously tree-and gardened homes of the Northern Suburbs, not a poor person in sight; or from the huge cluster of concrete civic buildings of Bureaucratic Braamfontein" (Pg x). It is these multitude of different landscapes that represent South Africa, and the Constitutional Court, which is located in the middle of them all, represents the coming together of the new South Africa.
What also really interests me about this site is the history which it has seen, and the resulting 'scars' that have been left on the landscape. Yet every one of these scars is an important part of South Africa and its development to the liberal, democracy which it has become today. In other words, it is the current landscape of South Africa, which has so many throwback to its bygone troubled past (for example the old prison that held both Ghandi and Mandela) that has led to the formation of this "Rainbow Nation."
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| The Constitutional Court of South Africa, Braamfontein. www.lloydslaw.co.za/ www.constructionweekonline.com |
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Africamap and sensory issues in landscape ...
Africamap is useful from a sensory perspective for a number of different reasons, particularly because it gives us the ability to overlay various different extra pieces of information on to the standard map.
Firstly, I decided to overlay a layer that indicates areas of population - this allows us to picture what the landscape would look like in certain parts, as if we were actually there. In the image copied and pasted below we can see the Western Cape region of South Africa, with the large red areas (densely populated) denoting Cape Town (on the left/west) and Port Elizabeth (on the right/east). So, for example in these areas we can imagine seeing a plethora of buildings, houses and small dwellings. Furthermore, we can associate these areas with the multitude of smells and sounds that go hand in hand with big city life. On the other hand, the yellow coloring indicates areas of a mid-range population density, and the grey areas have a very low, if any, population. Thus Africamap allows us to picture the grey areas as being far more 'natural' and untouched by humans.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mooi_kiekies/2491697285/
Firstly, I decided to overlay a layer that indicates areas of population - this allows us to picture what the landscape would look like in certain parts, as if we were actually there. In the image copied and pasted below we can see the Western Cape region of South Africa, with the large red areas (densely populated) denoting Cape Town (on the left/west) and Port Elizabeth (on the right/east). So, for example in these areas we can imagine seeing a plethora of buildings, houses and small dwellings. Furthermore, we can associate these areas with the multitude of smells and sounds that go hand in hand with big city life. On the other hand, the yellow coloring indicates areas of a mid-range population density, and the grey areas have a very low, if any, population. Thus Africamap allows us to picture the grey areas as being far more 'natural' and untouched by humans.
Secondly, I decided to overlay the "rivers and streams" layer on top of the population layer. This allows us to get a better understanding of the hydrological landscape of the Cape region. I then zoomed in on the City of Cape Town, where there are clearly 4 rivers that run through the city. Thus, it is possible to build up a picture of the urban areas around the Cape Town rivers; the landscape being comprised of the sounds of the city as well as the flowing water of the river. Below is a link to the Liesbeeck River running through Mowbray, Cape Town, which is what I imagine these rivers to resemble:
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